Articles by Herschel Smith

News from The Far Side:

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens on Thursday said that high court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, who Stevens once lauded in one of his books, does not belong on the Supreme Court.

Speaking to a crowd of retirees in Boca Raton, Stevens, 98, said Kavanaugh’s performance during a recent Senate confirmation hearing suggested that he lacks the temperament for the job.

The same man who said this.

That support is a clear sign to lawmakers to enact legislation prohibiting civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons, increasing the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 years old, and establishing more comprehensive background checks on all purchasers of firearms. But the demonstrators should seek more effective and more lasting reform. They should demand a repeal of the Second Amendment.

Concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the separate states led to the adoption of that amendment, which provides that “a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century.

I collect, cull and communicate the data.  You’re smart enough to decide.  On a positive note, it’s nice to hear that mankind is no longer affected by his sinful nature and his only intentions are good, all of the time.

Who knew?

News from Alaska:

Admiralty Island, Alaska — A female bear and her two cubs mauled and killed a young man working at a remote mine site on a southeast Alaska island with one of the highest bear densities in the state, authorities said Monday.

Anthony David Montoya, 18, a contract worker from Oklahoma, died at a remote drill site accessible only by helicopter, according to Hecla Greens Creek Mine and authorities. Mine officials said workers receive training on how to deal with bears because of the large number in the area.

[ … ]

The silver mine is on Admiralty Island, which is about 18 miles southwest of Juneau and where an estimated 1,500 brown bears roam, said Stephen Bethune, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Tours to the island that’s largely uninhabited by people tout bear-viewing possibilities.

[ … ]

Workers are taught, for example, ways to prevent bear encounters, including proper disposal of food. Bear spray is available to carry between buildings and trained personnel use bean bags to scare away bears from established areas.

The mine also has videos on bear behavior. In remote locations, bear spray is among the tools employees generally bring with them in the case of bear encounters, Satre said.

Bear spray.  I don’t think I would work in a place with that kind of bear density and not be allowed to carry a firearm for self defense.

In other news where people are not made in God’s image and animal life is more important than human life, a judge unilaterally decided to protect the bear sleuth.

“We stand behind our scientific finding that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear is biologically recovered and no longer requires protection under the Endangered Species Act,” the FWS said in a statement.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen overturned the Service’s decision to delist the bears Sept. 24. He based the ruling, in part, on the FWS failure to consider the impact delisting the bears in the Yellowstone region would have on other, still not recovered, bear populations around the United States, according to the court order.

[ … ]

“There are only a couple grizzly bear populations that are viable in the United States,” said Wendy Keefover, the native carnivore protection manager at the Humane Society of the United States, one of the organizations that sued to stop the delisting. “In 50 years, we’ve not had one individual make it between them. There are just these tiny islands of grizzly bear populations left. They need far more protection, not less.”

I’m wondering if The Alaskan wants to invite them in for dinner?  Or maybe he wants to be dinner for these poor critters?  After all, they need protection and sustenance.

News from the Northeast:

Sensing controversy, Gov. Phil Scott privately asked Vermont lawmakers to drop a limit on the size of gun magazines from a package of firearms regulations that was about to pass the Legislature this spring.

The governor was unsuccessful, and in April he signed the magazine limit along with other firearms laws.

“I advocated for them to consider taking that out because I knew that it was going to be a hot-button issue for many,” Scott said in a recent interview. “But I wasn’t persuasive enough for them to take it out. We’ll live with that.”

[ … ]

Scott has distanced himself from the magazine ban during his re-election campaign, saying in one Republican debate that the restriction “wasn’t my idea.”

Scott now says he has no plans to seek a repeal of the magazine ban if he wins re-election.

“I think we’ve had enough of the gun discussion at this point in time,” Scott said.

Ah, I see.  You wanted to get in bed with the controllers.  But you now regret it because you’re afraid you might lose power and don’t really have any scruples at all and believe nothing.  Therefore you regret the decision.  But not enough.

So let’s just forget all about it.

We’ve discussed guns enough.  Bless your heart.  Is that how you think this works?

Via Codrea, this:

Authorities say a baggage handler at Portland International Airport stole six guns from checked luggage.

Court documents filed Friday show that 26-year-old Deshawn A. Kelly was arrested on suspicion of theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to tamper with or obliterate the serial number on a firearm.

Remember what I said?

Let’s face it, folks.  Since we are dropping off the luggage and we are picking it up, the only necessity for the luggage to be locked up is what happens behind the wall.  The only good of locking up the gun is theft by airport employees.  We know it, the TSA knows it, and the airlines know it.  It’s the truth.  None of this has anything to do with security.  It’s all about airport theft by airline or airport employees.

Like I said.

Bad Advice:

Bear spray is a great option outdoors. It will deal with any dangerous animal, two-legged or four. It’s what I carry when I go play in Baja, Mexico. (You can’t take a gun across the border.) Combined with my two dogs, I feel that it satisfactorily handles my safety. You don’t really need to aim bear spray—it hangs in the air as a shield even if you miss your target. It also won’t look out of place or scare people if you carry it around.

But bear spray canisters are too large to carry day-to-day, away from outdoor activities. The nonlethal solution my fiancée (who also carries a handgun, for the same reasons I do) uses is a Kimber Pepper Blaster II. Small, slim, and light, it’s easy to carry in a purse or pocket (there are also plenty of holster options) and employs a unique percussion-fired pepper gel design that gives it a couple unique advantages. Pressurized canisters like bear spray can leak if left in a hot car or just due to age, but this nonpressurized design remains inert until fired. Also, the shotgun-like blast of pepper gel isn’t affected as much by wind and can’t blow back on the shooter, making it more foolproof in action. You get two of those blasts, which stain an attacker’s face bright red for later identification and have a range of up to 13 feet. The wide shot pattern also ups your odds of actually hitting your assailant as much as possible during a highly stressful situation.

The thing with a nonlethal option is that you’re able to take action if you feel threatened, but without risking a life. This is hugely empowering: you get the ability to decisively deal with a threat free from the burden of making a life-or-death call.

Yea, don’t listen to this idiot.

It’s simple, yes?  The decision not to engage in life or death decisions – just use bear spray.  It works great!  Except when it doesn’t work.  Dogs are wonderful, and readers know I recommend that everyone have them.  Have many of them.  They are great protection against men, protection against some predators, great companionship, and significant responsibility.

But dogs can’t stop bears, boy.  The author is purveying dangerous advice.  Always carry means of self defense.  God expects and demands it.  For you are made in His image.

Survival Blog:

Back in August, I warned SurvivalBlog readers about an upcoming FCC rules change.  Well, the ban did indeed arrive, on Monday. As of September 24th, 2018, the FCC banned the importation of some quite capable dual band models of inexpensive Baofeng ham radio handie-talkies:

     FCC Enforcement Advisory No. 2018-03

Because of this new FCC “enforcement advisory” ban, I predict that fewer and fewer these particular hand-held ham radios will clear Customs. Then, Amazon and eBay listings for them will soon disappear, probably in just a few weeks. The window of opportunity is closing quickly, folks!  Note that no license is required to buy these radios.

I strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers stock up on these dual band radios, NOW, while there are still some available at a reasonable price! Grab a five-pack, or perhaps two five-packs, so that you will have some extras available to trade at a later date.  Remember:  “Buy low, and sell high.”  As I’ve described in detail in the blog before: Bans almost always lead to higher prices!

JWR wrote about this earlier and I’ve been thinking about this.

The Baofeng radios he’s recommending come with baggage.  The real radio guys pan this stuff.  The clubs won’t go within a mile of it, and the scuttlebutt is that if you don’t buy after-market antennas for it, as soon as you walk around the next building you lose signal.  Parts fall off, the radios don’t work for long, etc., etc.

Furthermore, it’s said that you must have your certification to use most of the frequencies on these radios.  Frankly, I don’t know what to think.  I believe it’s important to have at least minimal comms equipment, but I also believe that we don’t all have to be Ham radio operators in order to have this minimal capability.

On the other hand, these are fairly cheap, and getting your certification is said to be easy.  Furthermore, they aren’t going to be available for long.

So here’s a bleg for readers.  How about someone with some comms capabilities (Pat Hines?) weigh in and give us a lengthy assessment of this whole matter?  I’m not thinking about stationary radios.  I’m talking about highly portable comms equipment.

NJ.com:

The U.S. District Court, in a ruling handed down late Friday, said New Jersey’s law doesn’t “prevent ownership of any type of gun and does not restrict the quantity of ammunition a gun owner may possess.” Rather, it “merely restricts the quantity of bullets a magazine may hold.”

The decision continues: “To illustrate, a citizen who owns a gun, 30 rounds of ammunition, and two 15-round magazines prior to the (new law’s) enactment will be permitted to retain his gun, ammunition, and three 10-round magazines.”

Be thankful, peasants.  Love your bondage, ye scum.  You can still have your 30 rounds.  So says the black robes.

And anyone who thinks that the priesthood will be their salvation is a fool.

Sorry for the out-of-service period for TCJ.  I appreciate the reader emails.  It’s been explained to me, but I’m not sure I can communicate it adequately.

Basically, I have a large amount of content and a large number of readers.  I needed more memory, or band width, or something.  The system crashed because it couldn’t handle it any more.  Changes have been made that hopefully will handle it.

At some point I’m going to have to monetize this web site by placing badges for companies like Lucky Gunner so you can order ammunition and I get just a tiny kickback for it if you are directed there from this web site.

From American Rifleman:

Ruger has announced the new AR-556 Multi-Purpose Rifle (MPR) chambered in .450 Bushmaster, offering an ideal hunting platform for midwestern whitetail deer, sizeable pigs, and target shooting at heavy steel

It has an 18″ barrel.  I like the price point of approximately $1000.  I think that’s the sweet spot for these kinds of rifles, and both Ruger and Savage are doing a nice job of new chamberings for that price range.

ZeroHedge:

Through landmark Supreme Court decisions, gun controllers could have anti-gun judges re-interpret the Constitution in a way that disregards the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court has a long history of re-interpreting the Constitution as a way of justifying government overreach in matters traditionally belonging to the states. This has been the case with the Supreme Court’s acceptance of New Deal legislation and its creation of a federal “right” to abortion.

It also does not help that the Second Amendment’s original decentralized militia model has been gutted, thus exposing several chinks in the Second Amendment’s armor. The militia’s original concept—locally-controlled military units designed to keep federal standing armies in check—has been effectively neutered.

Okay, this is a pregnant bit of prose and needs a little unpacking.  First of all, rights come from the Almighty and are always safe.  As we’ve discussed many times before, the second amendment is a covenant between men and before God, for blessings upon obedience and curses upon breakage.  Reinterpretation of the second amendment only means that men are preparing for war.  It has nothing to do with our rights.

Second, as we’ve also discussed many times before, the notion of the militia must be soft in the interpretation of the covenant of the second amendment.  The founders didn’t write the second amendment because of the militia, as if the sole reason for the second amendment was that a militia must function.

The proper function of the unorganized militia is only one of many reasons, and the founders only needed one.  That the many others aren’t specifically called out in the Bill of Rights doesn’t mean they weren’t taken as axiomatic during the time of confirmation of those rights.  As we’ve observed before:

… all the founders needed in order to object to federal control over such God-given rights is to find a single example of such an infringement that would be found unacceptable.  The militia served as this example.  That doesn’t mean that it is, would have been, or must have been, the only example or reason for the amendment.  The amendment clearly states what the FedGov shall not do, not what it can or may do or the sole reasons for its existence.

So a man has a right to the ownership of weapons if he is a paraplegic and unable to serve in the militia.  A people have the right to overthrow their government whether there is such a thing as a militia or not.  I can tell the militia (whatever that is in this context or any future context) to go pound sand and that I refuse to join, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with either [a] my God-given rights to keep and bear arms for self defense or the amelioration of tyranny, or [b] the fact that that right is recognized in the constitution, which is a covenant under which we have agreed to live.

My rights (and duties) flow from the Almighty, the very fountain of liberty.  The constitution is a mere covenant.  The Bolsheviks should tread carefully.  Breakage of that covenant means more than they think it means.

Finally, anyone who thinks that a civil war in America will go down with great armies lining up in fields of battle with tanks, aircraft and artillery, is foolish beyond belief.  4GW will be the order of the day, and few people in America are prepared for such a thing.  Neither is the FedGov.

Nothing and no one has been “neutered.”  Only the form has been changed.